HELL?

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So many myths are being exposed these days and debunked as pure fantasy. One of them you won’t believe: Hell. Yes, Hell, that wonderful place mankind has created is really not real. How can you say that, you ask? I didn’t but look who did!

Recently, the Internet has had some buzz about what Pope Francis said about Hell:

Florida on a recent July day.

“Through humility, soul searching, and prayerful contemplation we have gained a new understanding of certain dogmas. The church no longer believes in a literal hell where people suffer. This doctrine is incompatible with the infinite love of God. God is not a judge but a friend and a lover of humanity. God seeks not to condemn but only to embrace. Like the fable of Adam and Eve, we see hell as a literary device. Hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul, which like all souls ultimately will be united in love with God.”

If this is true, there are a lot of people who are a little upset with the news. Not that the news is bad, but they have been going out of their way to be good, and well what the Hell for?

I know it was what kept me in check as a little kid growing up. Mom kept a wooden spoon handy to support her position that Hell exists. She would raise it for the slightest infraction and then often enough, kept her promise. Stealing a cookie was punishable with a whack on the behind and a long lecture (pure Hell) or sending me to confession with an actual sin I could confess so to avoid the pains of Hell. When I reached my 24th birthday, I said: "Hey Ma, cut that out!"

As I grew into adulthood, I studied art and saw the Renaissance as a good representation of what Hell was like, everybody running around half naked and shielding their eyes from the devils and hot flames. Nowhere did I see anyone with four sisters suffering in Hell, since that is another Hell.

Then finally when I had kids, and they retreated to their rooms with pre-teen and then teen scorn for all things human, (once again pure Hell), the Devil had his day!

I too had created hell for my parents, had the same attitudes that my parents knew nothing of value, and should just listen to me, a font of knowledge and experience. 

And so what do we do with all these people who we thought were cast into Hell? Does the church or God say: Oops! Only fooling! Come on up. I mean, after all, they must have tans, or first degree burns! Will they have trouble adjusting to Heaven with all those clouds and temperature differences? Is it going to be like moving back to New York in the winter like a Florida snowbird?

So this news is kind of distressing to me. If I do go to Heaven, I will be reunited with friends, if I go to Hell, same deal, Hell, same deal!

Of course there will need to be a lot of editing of the Bible. How many pages will we need to tear out, how many lines need to be erased, and how many hymnals will need to be rewritten? As you see, I have done a good deal of worrying about the whole thing.

Saying: “Oh Hell!” will only mean that you are in a fantasy world, maybe a Disney ride, not something bad.

What about this bum?

So, if all this stuff about Hell is true, what are we doing about Hitler or Stalin, and the tax collector?

and this Bum???

I always felt that the Bible was a man-made thing that put words in God’s mouth, and how presumptuous we are to do that. The authors of the Bible had good intentions, but look at all the kayos it caused for people through the ages! The thought of Hell brings to mind the many wars and killings that were carried out by the religious fanatics and the self-righteous in the name of God.

At least now I can go to hell a little more relaxed, almost
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